V. On the Ampullae in some specimens of Millepora 

 in the Manchester Museum. 



By Sydney J. Hickson, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S. 



Received December 15th. Read December 15th, 1896. 



In 1884, Quelch called attention to certain cavities 

 in the superficial coenenchym of Millepora Murvayi, from 

 Samboangan, which he called "Ampullae," and considered 

 to be of the same nature as the ampullae of the Stylas- 

 teridae. 



In 1890, I was fortunate enough to obtain some spirit 

 specimens of this species from Professor Haddon, and 

 I found that each ampulla contains a curious male 

 medusiform gonophore, in different stages of development. 



As this was the first intimation of the presence of 

 medusae in the group of the Hydrocorallinae, and the 

 medusae were only males, I have been for some time 

 collecting specimens of Millepora from different localities 

 in the hope of obtaining the medusae in other species. 



I have obtained spirit specimens from the Bahamas, 

 Bermuda, West Indies, and Tonga, through the kindness 

 of Professor Agassiz, Mr. Shipley, Mr. Lister, and Dr. 

 Giinther, and I have carefully re-examined my own 

 specimens from Celebes. 



I have also examined numerous skeletons in the 

 possession of the British Museum, of the Museum at 

 Cambridge, and elsewhere ; but none of these, except 



Feb. 22nd, 1S97. 



